Old Car Festival

Rev it up with hundreds of authentic vehicles from the 1890s through 1932 at America’s longest-running antique car show. Open 'til 9pm on Saturday night!

For one weekend a year, we celebrate the triumphs of the earliest years of the automotive industry. It is a glorious spectacle, as the streets and grounds of Greenfield Village fill with the sights, sounds and smells of hundreds of authentic vehicles made from the 1890s through 1932. Wander through the village and talk to owners about their treasured vehicles. Watch drivers engage in games of skill, see a Model T assembled in just minutes, or just sit back and enjoy our experts sharing "car talks" while historic vehicles parade past. There’s the Saturday Gaslight Tour, too, and a live orchestra performing favorite dance tunes of the 1920s ’til 9pm. A one-of-a-kind event for cars and the people who love them.

This year, we explore the role the automobile played in the flourishing of our National Parks. By the late 19-teens and 20s, Americans were quickly adapting the relatively new automobile technology to their need to explore the great outdoors. This era saw the rise of “car camping”, and the birth of the travel trailer industry right here in Detroit. It also coincided with the official beginning of the National Park Service on August 25, 1916. What began as an uneasy relationship between the National Park Service and the automobile eventually found common ground, and by the 1920s, hundreds of thousands of American were finding their way to our parks, in cars. Join us as we explore American’s passion for camping with a display of early camping vehicles and equipment.

The National Park Service celebrates its centennial this year and the MotorCities National Heritage Area is commemorating this milestone with local programming and events. Learn more about the National Park Service Centennial and the MotorCities National Heritage Area; and join us on September 10 for a special tribute.